"Co along, kitten. You and your friend, too. I'll give you the freedom he can't. I'll give you the knowledge she won't. Co, Ava Grey, Ward of the Witches. You seek a ho, and I have one to give."
A scream rips from my throat as I thrash against the sheets, gasping for air. Fear is a heavy weight pressing down on my chest, crushing , stealing my ability to breathe.
In the darkness behind my eyelids, crimson eyes bore into , glowing with malice. Moonlight glints off razor-sharp fangs as a sinister voice whispers in my mind.
You'll be begging to fulfill our contract. Don't worry, kitten. I'll co back for you.
I jolt upright, heart hamring against my ribs. Sweat plasters my hair to my forehead. The room slowly cos into focus—dark walls, the dresser on the other side of the room, Selene's furry form at the foot of the bed. Her head perks up, ice-blue eyes studying with concern.
Ava? Are you alright? Her voice echoes in my mind, gentle and worried.
"I..." My voice cos out raspy and I swallow hard, trying to wet my parched throat. "I had a nightmare."
Selene cocks her head, fluffy ears twitching. About?
"It's hard to tell." Trying to grasp the wisps of mory that dance just out of reach is like grasping for smoke. "I feel like I'm forgetting sothing important. About what happened right before Lisa was taken."
Selene goes still, her ears flattening against her skull. When she speaks, her ntal voice is hesitant, almost wary. What do you rember, Ava?
"The vampire. Fighting. Pain."
But why did I hurt, exactly? Why is this suddenly so fuzzy?
I frown, sorting through the hazy images in my mind.
The Mad Prince, Selene murmurs.
"Right." My head clears again. "He bit . I rember that. It was weird, and…" I shake my head, frustrated. "There's sothing else. Sothing I'm not rembering."
A flash of Selene's voice screaming in my head returns, and I jerk toward her. "You were yelling at ."
Yes, she agrees cautiously. What else?
"He said—I would beg him to fulfill our contract soon."
Selene's quiet for a long mont. If it helps, I don't think you have a contract with him yet.
"What do you an?"
He attempted to force a blood contract. You resisted. It resulted in a half-bond, but that seems to have dissipated, since it was not reciprocated. That might be why your mory's going fuzzy.
"What do you an, blood contract?"
Rember the thralls from Sister Miriam's house?
Ah, them.
Ick.
I definitely don't want to be one of those.
"I don't feel any different," I offer cautiously. "No desire for blood or anything."
Selene's blue eyes are distinctly contemptuous. Contracting and turning are two separate issues, Ava.
Oh.
"Then what is contracting?"
It's a type of soul bonding. For the first ti, Selene sounds unsure. It has never succeeded between Lycans and vampires. The attempt has always killed one or both of them.
"I'm still alive. So, doesn't that an it failed?"
I don't think it succeeded, she says, still sounding hesitant. But I don't know enough to say.
"My mories are still hazy, but he called sothing. A ward?"
Selene's ears twitch. I don't understand.
Closing my eyes, I try my best to summon the words in my nightmare. "'He called by na. Ava Grey… Ward of the Witches. He knew who I was."
Her head cocks and her tail swishes in agitation. I don't know what that ans, but I don't like it. It sounds ominous.
"Take a number. I don't, either."
A number?
"A number. For the queue—never mind." Rubbing my eyes, I wave her off. "It isn't important. Is there anything else horribly life-altering that you'd like to tell right now?"
Selene is quiet for a mont, presumably while she thinks things through. I can't think of anything at the mont. Though I have been thinking about your magic.
My phone buzzes. Grabbing it, I check the ti. Two in the morning.
Five missed calls, and five text ssages.
All from Lucas, of course, except for a spam discount advertisent text that just ca in. I don't rember giving my number to any stores, but spam is ubiquitous.
Ignoring the ssage, I click onto Lucas' thread and type.
[AVA: Sorry. Was exhausted after seeing Mom. Fell asleep. I'll call you in the morning.]
I've already failed. I promised to call him at every opportunity and haven't held up my side of things. If this relationship is going to work between us, I really need to put in more effort. Just like he has.
Life doesn't always work as planned.
True. But I'd resolved to do better.
Taking a deep breath and shaking off the guilt, I glance at Selene. "Okay. My magic. You were thinking about it. How so?"
A teacher. There is one person who might be able to help you, though—
My phone rings.
Lucas.
I swipe it to answer in a hurry. "What are you doing awake?"
"Thinking about you. Worrying about you."
Selene sighs and rests her head on the bed. If a dog could roll their eyes, I'm pretty sure that's exactly what she just did.
"I'm fine. I'm about to go back to bed." But a smile curves my lips anyway.
The sound of his voice is comfortable as it washes over . A part of I didn't realize felt empty is now full, just by his presence through the line. It's a feeling I never want to go away.
How did I push him away so harshly?
My entire body, my soul, wants us to be together.
I can feel the tug of our fated mate bond, the warmth in my chest where once there was only a dull, aching pain.
Imagining living my life without the fulfillnt of a mate bond is crazy to now. It would be awful to know I'd live my life without the warmth he kindles inside of . The warmth I've finally accepted and even crave.
He sighs through the phone. "I'm sorry things didn't work out. I never should have sent you there."
"It's fine. I wanted to be here. It was worth trying." My fingers tighten on the phone; I'd forgotten all about my mother once the nightmare hit. "It doesn't bother that much." I'm lying, of course.
"Liar."
"No, really. I'm fine. It's nothing new from her."
Another sigh. "I already reserved your flight for the morning. Hurry ho."
I nod, before rembering that he can't see . "I will. Thank you."
"Get so sleep, love."
Selene yawns, snapping her mouth shut with a clack.
"I will. You, too."
"When I'm done with these papers, I will." He goes quiet for a second. "Did you… have a good visit with Clayton?"
"Mmhmm. He wishes us the best."
"Good." I can hear his deep breath, the relief in his words. "That's great."
"Good night, Lucas."
"Good night, Ava."
A goofy smile spreads across my face as we end the call. A cozy sense of ho blossoms in my chest, chasing away the lingering chill of my nightmare.
Selene sighs heavily, her fluffy tail thumping against the bed. Get so sleep, Ava. We can talk in the morning. We have that long ride in the tal trap that flies.
"It's an airplane, Selene. An airplane."
That's what I said.
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